Rhabdomyolysis associated with naltrexone

OBJECTIVE: To report a possible association between naltrexone therapy and the development of rhabdomyolysis in one patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 28-year-old white man in good physical health was started o n naltrexone 50 mg/d for inpatient treatment of alcohol dependence and depr ession. A routine serum chemistry panel obtained on day 9 of naltrexone the rapy showed marked new elevations in creatine kinase and aspartate aminotra nsferase. The patient remained asymptomatic and did nor develop renal insuf ficiency. The serum enzyme concentrations returned to normal within eight d ays of naltrexone discontinuation. DISCUSSION: Rhabdomyolysis has not been previously reported to occur in pat ients during treatment with naltrexone. Alcoholism may result in a reversib le acute muscle syndrome, but our patient did not fit the appropriate clini cal profile for such a syndrome. Additionally, the other prescribed medicat ions could not be implicated as possible causative agents. CONCLUSIONS: This case report illustrates a possible association between na ltrexone therapy and rhabdomyolysis.